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SiriusXM Radio weighs in on Island Head reggae band

SiriusXM radio has been very kind to Island Head. Their reggae station, The Joint, was the first radio station in the world to play Island Head. Program Director Pat McKay, selected the song “So Much Trouble In The World” to be the unofficial single off the album “Punky Reggae Party”.

Pat McKay has very high praise for the band. She said; “Island Head is an important project to reggae. It’s always gr8 to have substantive, high art. This work contributes to reggae’s growth. Reminds others of what it really is and what is still possible. I feel so especially blessed to share this brilliant work with our audience.”

Dermot Hussey, the legendary radio personality, is also on The Joint reggae channel. Dermot said; “Island Head musicians, tastefully demonstrate that a fresh perspective can still be brought to Bob Marley music”.

Island Head are humbled and honored to have such luminaries of the reggae music world to offer such high praise.

#islandhead #islandheadreggae #bobmarley #thejoint #siriusXM #reggaeradio

#reggae #reggaemusic #spotify #jamaica #caribbeanmusic #caliroots #reggaeartist #reggaeband #radio #reggaeartist

Reggae Radio Stations/Reggae DJs

Support for the reggae community, reggae artists and reggae music

Island Head is a reggae band. We have been lucky enough to have many radio stations who support reggae music, play our songs. We have been played on SiriusXM, college radio and streaming radio. As a result, many reggae artists and fans have contacted us to find out about radio stations that play reggae music. Our results are posted below.

PLEASE, if you know any radio stations that support the reggae community, let us know and we will blog about it. If you are a DJ and would like us to help promote your show, let us know about that as well. info @ islandhead.com

Here is the information we have gathered:

SiriusXM The Joint – DJs Pat McKay, Jabba, Dermot Hussey

Newstalk 93 FM in Jamaica – “Riffin” with Dermot Hussey

Radio Z889 Burlington County College – Request Line: 609-894-8900

Solar FM Reggae Portugal – DJ Paulo Matos

Aalborg Student Radio in Northern Denmark 92.2 FM DJ Manuca Selectah every Monday from 22.30 to 00.00 GMT

Endless Boundaries Jam Radio with “Jaybird” Varga (88.9 FM in S. Jersey & Philadelphia) Request Line: 609-894-8900

Sounds of the Caribbean with Keith Rowe & Selecta Jerry (88.9 FM in S. Jersey & Philadelphia) Request Line: 609-894-8900

Reggae & World Rhythms with Cableman Dan – Centenary College (stream on www.wnti.org – 91.9 FM in Central New Jersey) Request Line: 908-852-4545

In Southern California on Pacifica Radio – KPFK heard on 90.7 FM in LA, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 93.7 FM N. San Diego, 99.5 FM Ridgecrest – Reggae Central with Chuck Foster – Request Line: (818) 985-5735

WMNF 88.5 FM Community Radio Tampa, FL (stream at www.wmnf.org) Air Studio: (813) 239-9663 or dj@wmnf.org

Radio CUH Chaminade University – Honolulu. HI http://radiocuh.org – Request Line: (808) 440-4218

WVKR 91.3 FM Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY – Requests: 845.437.7178

Mana’o Radio 91.5FM, Maui Hawaii Requests: 808-244-2032

Ramjam Radio in London, England

Sound Fusion Radio in London, England

Lonely Oak Radio – internet radio

iHeart Radio – create your own radio station like a “Bob Marley” station or island or reggae type station and Discovery will bring you Island Head.

If you are a radio DJ/personality and would like to obtain a copy of the “Punky Reggae Party” album, please send us an email.

info(@)islandhead.com

#islandhead #islandheadreggae #bobmarley #thejoint #siriusXM #reggaeradio

#reggae #reggaemusic #spotify #jamaica #caribbeanmusic #caliroots #reggaeartist #reggaeband #radio #reggaeartist

Island Head electronic press kit

See Island Head’s EPK (electronic press kit) here: http://artistecard.com/islandhead

Like Island Head reggae band on Facebook: www.facebook.com/islandheadreggae

Hear Island Head on reggae radio stations around the world!

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Island Head Live at the Falcon

Island Head played to a packed SRO crowd at The Falcon in Marlboro, NY this past Saturday night. The band featured Timmy Cappello on sax and lead vocals, Andy Bassford as well as reggae legend Mikey ‘Mao’ Chung on guitars, bandleader Billy Messinetti on drums, Jeff Ganz on bass, James K. Smith on trumpet (subbing for Don Harris) and Mitch Margold on keyboards (subbing for David Frank). Both James and Mitch have played with Island Head before so the reggae groove had the right pulse!

The band played their versions of classic Bob Marley songs as performed on their album “Punky Reggae Party” as heard on SiriusXM radio The Joint. Other songs performed included “Baby I Need Your Loving” by The Four Tops, “I Shall Be Released” by Bob Dylan and the classic “House of The Rising Sun”.

They surprised the audience with two new songs to the set. “Take Me To The River” was done uptempo to almost a ska beat. One of the most interesting arrangements was the band’s rendition of Richie Haven’s Woodstock classic “Freedom” to a soca-like groove. Timmy tore the house down with these two songs. Whew!!

Check back here at IslandHeadReggae.com for information about getting a copy of the live recording of the show.

Island Head Musicians Band Live in NYC – “So Much Trouble In The World”

Island Head reggae band’s live performance of Bob Marley’s “So Much Trouble in the World”. The studio version can be heard on the album “Punky Reggae Party”. This performance is from the summer of 2013 at The Cutting Room in New York City.

Band members include Andy Bassford and Mikey ‘Mao’ Chung on guitars, Timmy Cappello on sax, James K. Smith on trumpet, Jeff Ganz on bass, Mike Mancini on keyboards and Billy Messinetti on drums. The studio version of “So Much Trouble in the World” can be heard on the Island Head album “Punky Reggae Party”. Island Head is also known as Island Head Band and Island Head Musicians.

Listen to the reggae radio station on SiriusXM channel 42 “The Joint” and hear the live in-studio versions of “Punky Reggae Party”, “Burnin’ and Lootin'” and “So Much Trouble in the World”. The session was recorded the same day as The Cutting Room show.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTATvUQL6MM

Pictured (left to right) Timmy Cappello, Jeff Ganz, Mikey ‘Mao’ Chung and Andy Bassford

Andy Bassford (guitarist)

Pat McKay (program director for The Joint with Island Head)

James K. Smith (trumpet player)

Mike Mancini (keyboard player)

Billy Messinetti (drummer)

Island Head’s David Frank interview

David Frank, Island Head’s keyboard player was interviewed on Pacifica Radio in Los Angeles, Ca on KPFK. Chuck Foster is the host of the show “Reggae Central” which is heard on Sundays. The show airs from 2pm – 4pm PST on 90.7 FM in Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 93.7 North San Diego and 99.5 Rodgecrest. David talks about his input into the recording of “Punky Reggae Party” and his interaction with the other Island Head musicians.

David Frank is a well-known keyboard player, producer of many hit records including Christina Aguilera’s “Genie In A Bottle”, Phil Collins “Sussudio”, Steve Winwood’s “Back In The High Life” and many more. He also has had hits with his own band called The System including “Don’t Disturb This Groove” and “You Are In My System”.

Chuck wrote the Reggae Update column for Beat Magazine for two decades and is the author of Author of Roots, Rock, Reggae: An Oral History of Reggae Music From Ska to Dancehall on Billboard Books and The Small Axe Guide to Rock Steady (Muzik Tree, 2009). Chuck has been actively involved in Los Angeles public radio for nearly 20 years.

Here is the link to David’s interview

Island Head “Punky Reggae Party” makes iTunes Top 200

This past week “Punky Reggae Party” by Island Head made it to number 100 on the iTunes Top 200 Reggae Albums. This chart is more volatile than Billboard charts because it is based upon immediate sales at that hour. In one week the album was flying around all over the chart, but it peaked at #100.

The album is also on the recommended “Reggae Albums Under $8” on iTunes.

We also congratulate other reggae artists, our peers, on appearing on the iTunes Reggae Chart, too. Other interesting reggae albums that should check out are Rebolution, SOJA, Slightly Stoopid and The Green.

You can purchase the album on iTunes here

Physical copies can be purchase here on CD Baby

Island Head musicians

ISLAND HEAD – “PUNKY REGGAE PARTY”

reggae – jam band – jazz – island music – are all terms used to describe the instrumental debut album by Island Head. Below are the songs from the album written by Bob Marley except for “Reggae Island”, the single.

1 – I Shot The Sheriff (Bob Marley)

2 – So Much Trouble In The World (Bob Marley)

3 – Reggae Island (Billy Messinetti & Don Harris)

4 – Wake Up And Live (Bob Marley)

5 – Get Up Stand Up (Bob Marley & Peter Tosh)

6 – Punky Reggae Party (Bob Marley & Lee “Scratch” Perry)

7 – Burnin’ and Lootin’ (Bob Marley)

click on ‘MUSICIANS LINK’ to read bios of Island Head musicians

Radio Adds for Island Head’s “Punky Reggae Party”

Island Head music on the radio started with SiriusXM The Joint Program Director Pat McKay playing “So Much Trouble In The World”, a Bob Marley cover. All three of the station’s DJs continue to play Island Head – Jabba, Dermot Hussey and Pat McKay herself. Sounds of the Caribbean with Keith Rowe & Selecta Jerry jumped at the chance to add the album to their radio playlist. Keith even uses various cuts from the album as “bumper” music for his announcements. “Jaybird” Varga from Endless Boundaries Jam Radio on the same radio station heard Island Head on Keith’s show. He liked the “jamband” aspect of the album so much that he started his very next show with “Burnin’ and Lootin'”, another Marley song. Both Keith’s and “Jaybird’s” shows can be heard on Burlington County College 88.9 FM in S. Jersey & Philadelphia (stream here Radio Z889).

Dan the Cableman has a show on Centenary College Radio called Reggae & World Rhythms 91.9 FM in Central New Jersey that streams on www.wnti.org. Andy Bassford and Billy Messinetti, guitarist and drummer, respectively, were interviewed and guest DJ’ed while the Cableman played “Reggae Island”, the single from the album, “I Shot The Sheriff” and the title cut “Punky Reggae Party”.

Chuck Foster from radio KPFK 90.7 FM UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) has a show called Reggae Central who has added Island Head to the playlist. If you are in the Tampa Florida area you can listen to WMNF 88.5 FM Community Radio (stream at www.wmnf.org). In Upstate New York we are on WVKR 91.3 FM Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. One of their shows is “Splinters & Candy” World Music with Alex Brown. Our newest addition today is Radio CUH Chaminade University Hawaii. If you are off the island you can listen here http://radiocuh.org.

Island Head would like to thank all these stations for their continued support. Big Up from all the Island Head musicians!! Maximum Respect!!!

Punky Reggae Party album review

The reggae jamband Island Head, is getting a lot attention for their debut album “Punky Reggae Party”. Bob Marley songs are re-worked into instrumentals that are destined to make these songs classics, again.

Track 1: “I Shot The Sheriff” has a groove that crosses dancehall and rock with strong rock guitars and jazzy saxophone. Sax player Tim Cappello, of Tina Turner fame, plays his butt off (plain and simple). He has a fat tenor sound with tons of expression and excitement!

Track 2: “So Much Trouble In The World” takes the bass line from the original and pushes it further with a backbeat on the drums. Bass player extraordinaire, Neil Jason pays tribute to the original bass player on the Survival album, Val Douglas. Val, of the famous Skatalites, was scheduled to play on the album. Due to his touring schedule with the Skatalites he could not make any of the band’s sessions. When the track gets to Andy Bassford’s guitar solo the song is lifted to new heights. Andy is well-known for playing with Toots & The Maytals for 23 years.

Track 3: The single, “Reggae Island” is a pop/top 40 sounding instrumental that just makes the listener feel good. This is the only one not penned by Marley.

track 4: “Wake Up and Live”, also from Marley’s Survival album appears on the Island Head record. This is where the band’s funk influence comes out. Trumpet player Don Harris used to tour with Tower of Power and brought out some TOP in his arrangements.

Track 5: “Get Up Stand Up” sounds like Miles Davis got together with Bob Marley. Harris’ muted trumpet is sultry, sexy and relaxing. Miles would be proud because his influence is very apparent.

Track 6: The title track combines Jamaican Rocksteady with synth-dance music. The synthesizer sounds played by one of the most famous synth players in the world, David Frank of The System.

Track 7: “Burnin’ and Lootin'” is the final track which is more traditional roots reggae. The groove is deadly and “dirty funky”! Andy Bassford does some finger-picking melodies in the second verse that are complex and interesting. The track ends with Andy and Tim weaving in and out of each other’s licks.

Mickey “Mao” Chung, famous for his tenure with Peter Tosh of the Wailers plays incredible melodies throughout the entire album. Mikey also played with Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards when Keith used to live in Jamaica. Keith also mentions Mikey in his biography, “Life”. Producer Billy Messinetti says; Mikey added a Jamaican authenticity to the album. The combination of the guitar playing of Andy Bassford and Mikey ‘Mao’ Chung is one of the things that makes this album so interesting to listen to. When Pat McKay, program director for SiriusXM’s reggae station The Joint, heard about this collaboration she said; I know both Andy and Mikey, they are geniuses!

You can find this very interesting musical hybrid here: Island Head on iTunes

Twitter page @Islandheadband is getting followers from all over the world.